Green roofs are taking root, as it were, across the country. And, why not? The hot -- and way cool -- new trend helps structures keep cool, it promotes environmental stewardship and it is easy on the eye.
As Matt Horn at Matterhorn Nursery in Spring Valley, N.Y., has discovered, it also can draw business to a store from customers who want to shop where the garden center operators are doing right by Ma Nature. In fact, he started building green roofs simply for that reason. "It was the right thing to do," he said.
Over time, though, the practice also became part of a plan to morph Matterhorn's brand into a lifestyle. "Matterhorn, itself, has become a way of life," he said, noting that the way of life includes practicing what he preaches by making his buildings ecologically sound, along with the products he sells.
"Green roofs are so good for the environment," he said. "They help conserve water and reduce storm-water runoff. Green roofs also become habitats for butterflies, birds and insects. Finally, green roofs are aesthetically pleasing. I can do the right thing and enhance Matterhorn's aesthetics at the same time."
All that, plus a way to draw more customers? Yeah, that's definitely a "Cha-ching!"
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